\cA. 

nivS*. 


MissiONAny  Leaflet  No.  6. 


/Vlcdical  /Wission  Worl( 


IN 


INDIA. 


VERSONAL  EXPERIENCES 

BV 

W.  J.  WANLESS,  AL.  U. 

' Miraj,  India 


Price,  ten  cents  each:  .W. 00  per  dozen:  $7.50 
per  100,  postpaid. 

W.  B.  JACOBS, 

132  La  Salle  St.,  Chicago,  III. 


MEDICAL  MISSION  WORK  IN  INDIA. 


PEB.SONAL  EXPERIENCES  BV 

W.  .T.  Wanless,  M.  D.,  Mira.i. 


The  Object  of  this  Pamphlet. 

“And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  write  this  for  a 
memorial  in  a book  and  rehearse  it  in  the  ears  of 
Joshua,”  Ex.  17:  14.  The  object  of  this  command 
was  plainly  to  strengthen  the  heart  of  God’s 
people  Israel,  and  to  encourage  the  heart  of  God’s 
servant  Joshua.  It  was  to  be  written  for  the  en- 
couragement of  future  generations,  and  rehearsed 
for  the  stimulation  of  holy  activity  in  the  then  so- 
journing children  of  the  promise.  God  is  to-day 
making  war  with  the  Amalekites  in  India,  while 
the  church  at  home  is  by  prayer  staying  up  the 
hands  of  her  representatives  on  the  field  of  ac- 
tion. The  missionary’s  hand  is  often  heavy,  but 
he  blesses  God  for  the  staying-up  power  of  the 
faithful  and  persistent  props  of  God’s  praying 
children  at  home.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to 
belong  to  the  little  missionary  army  in  India,  and 
now  for  the  encouragement  of  the  helping  Aaron 
and  Hur  in  the  home  land  and  the  glory  of  our 
Blessed  Leader,  I am  led  to  write  what  1 have 
already  been  privileged  to  rehearse  in  the  ears  of 
some  of  God’s  people  since  coming  home  on  fur- 
lough, in  order  that,  if  possible,  their  hearts  may 
be  encouraged  by  the  'recited  victories,  which 
God  through  their  efforts  is  winning,  as  “He 
makes  war  with  Amalek  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration” ip  that  still  dark  land. 

Missionary  Obstacles. 

Before  referring  to  personal  experiences  illustra- 
ting the  influence  and  value  of  the  medical  mission 
work — the  work  in  which  I have  been  privileged 
to  engage  during  the  past  five  and  a half  years 
in  Western  India — I would  like  to  refer  briefly  to 


— 3 — 


the  chief  obstacles  which  confront  the  mission- 
aries of  the  cross  in  India,  in  their  effort  to  make 
known  Jesns  as  the  only  Saviour  of  men,  especial- 
ly since  it  is  in  overcoming  these  barriers  to  the 
spread  of  Christian  truth  that  the  medical  mission 
is  being  abundantly  blessed  of  God. 

Practical  Ilinduisin. 

In  Hinduism  and  its  practice  are  included 
these  chief  obstacles.  A religion  should  be  judged 
by  its  fruits,  rather  than  bj'  its  doctrines  or  philos- 
ophy. I want  to  say  to  begin  with  that  Hinduism 
— Mohammedanism,  too — as  practiced  and  seen  in 
India  are  not  the  Hinduism  and  Mohammedan- 
ism proclaimed  and  heard  at  the  World's  ^"'ongress 
of  Religions.  During  these  years  in  India  I have 
had  abundant  opportunity  to  study  the  people  in 
their  every  day  life  and  religion.  I have  gone 
into  hundreds  of  their  homes,  and  have  come  into 
personal  contact  with  them  in  almost  numberless 
ways,  not  only  as  a physician  but  as  a citizen,  a 
friend,  and  laborer  for  and  with  them.  Hinduism, 
as  I have  seen  it  in  practice,  consists  largely  of 
three  things;  I.  The  worship  of  idols  of  which 
there  are  three  hundred  and  tlyrty  millions  in 
India.  II.  The  keeping  of  festivals  or  feast  daj’S. 
III.  Adli^'ence  to  caste  dictates  and  caste  rules. 

Idolatry  and  its  Practice. 

1.  With  reference  to  the  worship  of  idols,  it  has 
been  said  that  the  Hindu  does  not  worship  the 
idol,  but  God  in  it.  This  is  the  argument  only  of 
the  educated  Hindu,  when  accused  of  idolatry 
(even  now  thousands  of  these  very  people  try  to 
apologize  for  their  idols),  but  90%  of  the  people 
have  no  such  idea.  They  worship  and  fear  the 
piece  of  wood  and  stone  thej’  call  their  god,  and 
having  consecrated  it,  would  not  allow  a Christian 
to  lay  hands  on  it,  much  less  break  it.  Almost 
every  implement  that  is  a means  of  personal  or 
pecuniary  gain  is  an  object  of  worship.  Thus 
the  carpenter  and  mason  worship  their  tools,  the 
cartsman  his  cart  and  bullocks,  the  children  at 
school  their  books  and  slates,  and  so  on,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  worship  of  numberless  other  inanimate 
objects  and  animals.  Images  are  found  in  every 


— 4 — 


Hiiulii  liome  and  in  the  court-j'ard  of  almost  every 
Hindu  dwelliiiff.  I know  of  a village  with  1,300  in- 
habitants in  which  are  over  100  public  shrines. 

Temples  the  Hoi-beds  of  Vice. 

Idolatrj'  is  the  mainstaj'  of  the  temples,  and 
coupled  with  temple  idolatry  is  licentiousness 
of  the  foulest  kind.  It  is  bad  enough  when  a 
daughter  goes  astray  of  herself,  bui  when  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  teachings  of  the  Hindu  scriptures  as 
taught  and  inculcated  by  the  temple  priests,  the 
mother  consecrates  her  child  to  temple  harlotry 
from  her  birth,  j-ou  have  an  example  of  thu  fruits 
of  Hinduism.  Listen  to  this.  It  is  an  extract  from 
the  “Hindu,”  a leading  anglo-vernacular  paper  in 
India,  and  concerning  the  priestly  teachers  of 
Hinduism,  it  says:  “Profoundly  ignorant,  as  a 
class,  and  infinitely  selfish,  it  is  the  mainstay  of 
every  unholy,  immoral  and  cruel  custom  and 
superstition  in  our  midst,  from  the  wretched 
dancing  girl,  who  insults  the  Deity  by  her  exist- 
ence, to  the  pining  child-widow, ' ev('ry  hair  of 
whose  head  shall  stand  up  against  us  who  tolerate 
it  in  the  Day  of  .ludgment.  And  of  such  a priestly 
class  our  womeif  are  the  ignorant  tools  and  help- 
less dupes.” 

The  Effects  of  a Degraded  Priesthood. 

No  wonder  the  people  revel  in  vice  and  in- 
variably consider  it  perfectly  proper  to  lie,  bear 
false  witness,  or  commit  almost  any  sin  and  con- 
sider it  justifiable  in  order  to  escape  personal 
loss  or  punishment.  No  wonder  a devout  man 
worships  idols  all  morning  with  one  hand — so  to 
put  it — and  the  rest  of  the  da3’  takes  bribes  and 
defrauds  with  the  other.  No  wonder  the  object 
of  all  religious  devotion,  so  called,  is  personal 
gain,  little  caring  who  is  the  loser  therebj'.  An 
educated  Brahmin  once  came  to  me,  and  when 
asking  me  to  give  him  a receipt  for  monej’  which  I 
never  received,  in  order  to  secure  the  amount  to  be 
falselj'  stated  in  the  receipt,  and  on  hearing  m3’  re- 
fusal to  comply  with  his  request,  said:  “Doesn’t 
the  Bible  sa3’  that  it  is  right  to  lie  in  order  to  help 
a man  out  of  the  mud?  Our  Scripture  does.” 


Verily  the  worsliip  serves  tlie  creature  more  than 
the  Creator. 

OhHcene  Festivals  Ajiproted  bij  Hindu  Sacred  Books. 

II.  Now  concerning  their  festivals,  they  are 
too  numerous  to  mention  here;  they  are  invariably 
associated  with  idolatrous  practices,  and  fre- 
quently with  the  rankest  vice  and  open  shame.  On 
one  of  these  feast  days  the  gods  are  supposed  to 
be  asleep,  and  worshipers’  passions  are  therefore 
without  restraint,  hence  any  and  every  sin  is  per- 
fectly proper.  Speaking  of  this  festival,  one  of 
their  most  modern  sacred  scriptures,  the  Dharm 
Sindhu,  quotes  approvingly  from  the  .Totirnibandh 
which  says:  “()f  the  fifteen  days  from  the  fifth 
day  of  the  bright  half  of  the  moon,  to  the  fifth 
day  of  the  dark  half,  ten  are  infinitely  meritorious. 
During  these  days  wood  and  cow-dung  cakes  should 
be  stolen  and  kindled  either  in  or  outside  the  vil- 
lage with  fire  stolen  from  the  liouse  of  a low  caste 
man.  The  king  having  bathed  and  purified  him- 
self, should  give  gifts  and  light  the  Holi  fire.  In 
the  same  way  the  people  should  spend  the  night 
in  pleasures,  singing  and  dancing.  Pronouncing 
obscene  words,  they  should  walk  around  the  fire.  By 
these  obscene  words,  the  sinful  goddess,  Dhundha, 
will  be  satisfied.”  In  one  place  I know  of,  they 
dance  around  a temple  for  hours  in  the  night, 
practically  nude.  The  Dharm  Sindhu  adds  that 
no  sin  is  committed  by  these  acts  and  words, 
and  the  philosophy  of  this  as  e.xplained  is  that 
this  goddess  is  a lover  of  sin,  and  therefore  it 
must  be  right  to  appease  her  by  that  which  is 
sinful.  Not  only  do  they  “commit  such  things,” 
but  have  pleasure  in  them  that  do  them. 

Caste  the  Masterpiece  of  Satan. 

III.  As  to  caste,  with  its  30,00U  sects,  it  is  well 
known  that  it  is  a great  barrier  to  all  true  knowledge 
and  human  charity.  It  is  Satan’s  masterpiece  in 
India  to  prevent  the  spread  and  acceptance  of  the 
gospel.  It  teaches  man  to  hate  and  despise  his 
neighbor,  while  Christianity  teaches  man  to  love 
not  onlj’  his  neighbor  but  his  enemy  also.  No 
wonder  a prominent  Hindu  in  Madras  recently 
declared  that  the  only  hope  for  the  depressed 


— C — 


cliisses  of  India  is  in  Christianity,  for,  said  lie, 
“ Hindu  caste  and  religion  are  botli  contrary  to 
the  education  and  elevation  of  the  lower  classes.” 
Caste  confronts  and  prevents  all  true  progress  as 
well  as  missionary  work  in  every  form;  not  only  in 
domestic  but  also  in  social  and  political  life. 

It  is,  briefly,  a pernicious  and  malignant  mon- 
ster that  for  ages  has  woven  into  its  iron  meshes 
almost  every  phase  of  Hindu  life.  It  is  the  hide- 
ous reptile  that  still  holds  India  within  its  awful 
coil  of  darkness  and  wretched  superstition,  in  the 
end  only  to  cast  forth  her  sons  into  eternal  despair 
and  death. 

Effect  of  Caste — A Case. 

I shall  have  occasion  later  to  refer  to  caste,  by 
way  of  illustrating  the  value  of  the  Medical  Mis- 
sion. .lust  here  I will  conclude  my  reference  to  it 
by  a case  or  two  illustrating  its  effect  upon  educa- 
tion. A Christian  boy  was  admitted  to  a govern- 
ment high  school  where  the  pupils  were  mostly 
Brahmin  and  high  caste  boys.  The  parents  of 
the  Hindu  boys  became  very  angr^'  and  threat- 
ened to  remove  all  their  boys  from  the  school. 
They  got  up  a petition  to  the  educational  in- 
spector recpiesting  the  removal  of  the  Christian 
boy  from  the  school.  The  inspector  refused  their 
request,  as  there  were  none  but  caste  reasons  for 
the  boy 's  dismissal.  The  parents  then  complained 
that  the  e.xcessive  bathing  consequent  upon  the 
pollution  caused  by  the  presence  of  the  Christian 
boy  in  the  school  was  resulting  in  severe  colds — 
the  boys,  meanwhile,  took  the  opportunity  to 
spend  their  time  swimming  in  the  river,  of  which 
they  were  excessively  fond.  Finally,  when  they 
found  the  inspector  would  not  listen  to  their  com- 
plaints, they  carried  out  their  threat  and  removed 
all  their  boys  from  the  school.  For  a few  days 
there  were  four  Hindu  teachers  and  oiu' Christian 
boy.  Some  of  the  boys  afterwards  returned  and 
the  parents  of  others  started  a jji'ivate  school. 
The  educational  inspector  then  threatened  to 
close  the  government  school,  whereupon  all  the 
bo3'S  returned  and  the  private  school  was  aban- 
doned. The  temple  priests  are  the  fathers  and 
exponents  of  this  wretched  system.  What 


musi  th(‘  schohu'S  bo  wlieii  these  are  llioir  in 
structors? 

.1  Loathsome  Ceremony. 

One  of  their  Pundits  of  the  World’s  Congress 
fume  was  Itimself  made  to  go  through  li'.e  degrad- 
ing ceremony  of  swallowing  the  five  products  of 
the  cow  after  returning  to  India,  in  order  to  atone 
for  the  fictitious  sin  of  visiting  America,  and  by 
which  to  be  restored  to  caste.  The  Brahmin  priests 
of  Miraj  demanded  three  hundred  dollars  from  a 
native  doctor  who  had  been  to  Europe,  as  their 
fee  for  the  necessary  cleansing  ceremonies,  such 
as  the  one  in  Mr.  Chari's  case. 

The  Aim  of  Medical  Missions. 

When  I began  the  study  of  medicine,  it  was 
with  the  express  understanding  that,  if  in  the 
Providence  of  God  I should  go  to  the  foreign  field, 
I should  be  first  a missionary  and  secondly  a phy- 
sician. The  physical  needs  of  the  world  are  great, 
and  greater  far  in  the  heathen  world  than  in  the 
Christian  world,  but  great  as  are  the  phj'Sical, 
the  spiritual  needs  of  the  world  are  greater. 
The  healing  art  is  only  second  to  the  saving  art, 
and  the  two  go  hand  in  hand,  though  the  former 
must  always  be  subservient. 

“And  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities  and  vil- 
lages, teaching  in  their  synagogues  and  preaching 
the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  and  healing  ever3’ sick- 
ness and  every  disease  among  the  people.’’  Matt. 
9:  3.‘). 

Our  Lord’s  ministr}’  was  thus  three-fold.  He 
was  Teacher,  Preacher,  Healer.  His  relation  to 
the  world  as  evangelist  is  our  relation  to  the  world 
as  missionaries.  As  He  was,  so  are  we  in  the 
world.  Christ  is,  then,  in  His  own  life  and  teach- 
ing, our  authority  for  medical  missions. 

Christ  the  Ideal  Physician. 

Livingstone  said  “God  had  an  only  Son,  and  He 
was  a physician.’’  The  purpose  of  all  Christ’s 
healing  miracles  was  plainh"  to  establish  the  Divine 
character  of  His  life  and  mission  and  to  prepare 
the  heart  and  mind  for  the  acceptation  of  His 
Divine  message.  This  also  is  the  aim  of  the  Med- 


— 8 — 


I 


ical  Mission.  Its  purpose  is  not  only  to  evangelize 
and  to  prepari!  the  way  lor  ev:ingelization  but 
to  establish  the  Divine  character  of  Christianity, 
of  which  it  is  a part.  Healing  th(>  body  is  to  go 
hand  in  hand  with  curing  the  soul.  In  other 
words,  it  is  the  “double  cure.” 

Still  further,  we  have  Ills  command  to  “Heal 
the  sick,”  and  the  commission  Christ  gave  to  His 
disciples  to  “preach  the  Kingdom  of  Cod  and  to 
heal  the  sick”  is  none  the  less  our  commission, 
though  God’s  natural  medicines  are  used  in  lieu 
of  the  healing  power  possessed  by  the  disciples. 
Such  is  the  missionary  physician's  commission. 

Beginning  Work. 

Arriving  at  Sangli  in  the  West(  rn  India  Mission 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  my  wife — who  had 
taken  nurse  training  and  wlio  was  my  first  helper 
in  the  work — jind  1 decided  that  we  would  spend 
our  first  year,  at  heist,  wholly  in  the  study  of  the 
language,  and  would  begin  no  medical  work  until 
we  had  been  a year  on  the  field.  Our  second 
year  would  also  be  given  largely  to  the  acquisition 
of  the  language,  though  we  anticipated  med- 
ical work  after  the  first  year.  The  sick  heard 
of  and  anticipated  our  coming,  and  we  were  not 
on  the  ground  eighteen  hours  until  there  were  pa- 
tients to  treat.  The  first  day  half  a dozen,  the 
second  day  several  more,  and  at  the  end  of  a week 
a score  had  begun  to  come  daily  for  treatment. 
We  declared  that  we  had  neither  sufficient  nor 
suitable  medicine,  a dispensaiy  or  the  time  to 
treat  them.  We  treated  the  first  few  with  some 
medicines  which  were  at  hand.  But  this  little 
suppl}’  was  wholly  inadequate  for  even  the  first 
few  dozens  who  came,  and  b.y  the  end  of  the 
first  week  we  sent  for  a more  c.xteusive  assort- 
ment of  drugs  with  which  to  treat  what  we  were 
pleased  to  term  the  simple  cases  that  might  inci- 
dentally come.  We  presumed  that  after  the  few 
who  knew  of  our  arrival  had  been  cared  for,  we 
would  then  be  able  to  confine  our  eft’orts  to  the 
language,  treating  now  and  then  one  who  might 
come  to  the  bungalow,  and  cases  of  sickness  that 
might  arise  among  the  few  Christian  school  boys 
and  native  Christians  on  the  compound.  As  with 


— 9 — 


reference  to  other  phases  of  the  work  during  the 
first  year  or  so,  our  judgment  was  premature, 
so  liere  also  we  had  a mistaken  impression  with 
reference  to  what  we  would  do  the  first  year. 

Native  Advertising. 

A physician  in  India  needs  no  newspaper  to  ad- 
vertise him.  Every  patient  successfully  treated 
is  a living  and  widespread  advertiser  of  the  doctor 
who  is  the  means  of  his  cure.  Thus  we  found 
that  the  few  who  had  come  to  us  spread  abroad 
the  news  of  our  presence  in  Sangli,  and  it  was  not 
long  until  multitudes  began  to  come  from  all  the 
regions  round  about  Sangli,  people  afflicted  with 
every  manner  of  disease.  They  came  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  and  often  at  night,  and  we  soon  realized 
that  serious  inroads  were  being  made  upon  our 
time  which  should  have  been  given  to  the  study 
of  the  language.  "We  could  not  now  well  turn  the 
people  away,  many  of  whom  were  coming  from 
distant  villages,  and  our  hearts  went  out  to  them 
in  their  distress,  especiall}’  as  we  thought  of  Him 
who  “had  compassion  on  the  multitudes,’’  and  we 
could  not  believe  that  W('re  He  there  He  would 
have  turned  them  awa\'. 

A Dispensary  Opened. 

In  order  to  economize  our  time  we  were  obliged  to 
open  a dispensary  and  to  plan  a dispensary  hour  for 
their  treatment.  Accordingly  for  want  of  a more 
suitable  place.a  little  dispensary  was  fitted  up  in  one 
end  of  the  school  house  on  the  compound.  A bath 
room,  ."i.xS  feet,  with  the  addition  of  shelves  made 
out  of  packing  bo.xes,  served  as  a compounding 
room,  the  domicile  of  my  dear  wife  the  dispenser. 
Another  room,  8.\T2,  with  a table  and  chair, 
served  as  a consulting  room.  The  open  ground  in 
front  of  the  school  was  the  waiting  room.  These 
ready,  we  began  our  regular  work.  Tin;  people 
now  came  in  still  larger  numbers,  and  from  still 
more  remote  villages.  They  would  begin  to  ar- 
rive at  daybreak  and  continue  to  come  till  ten. 
our  hour  for  treating  them.  We  had  meanwhile 
secured  a native  Christian  assistant  as  interpreter 
and  medical  helper.  This  assistant,  aided  by 
other  native  preachers,  preached  to  and  taught 


— 10  — 


the  peojile  while  thej’  gathered  and  while  the\' 
waited  for  treatment.  Scripture  texts  were  pasted 
on  iheir  medicine  bottles  and  tracts  distributed 
among  them. 

Growth  and  Removal  to  Larger  Premises. 

Thus  before  we  could  speak  to  them  we  were 
able  indirect!}'  to  preach  to  the  people  concerning 
their  spiritual  infirmities,  at  the  same  time  help- 
ing their  physical  diseases.  The  work  of  preach- 
ing and  healing  was  continued  for  several  months 
in  this  way,  when,  as  it  still  grew,  it  was  found 
necessary,  for  various  reasons,  to  remove  to  quar- 
ters at  a distance  from  the  boarding  school.  Pur- 
suantly  an  old  building  in  the  city,  with  greater 
space,  which  had  been  used  for  a school,  was 
fitted  up.  A new  door  and  windows,  a sink  for 
washing  purposes,  rough  shelving  for  bottles, 
packing  boxes  for  cupboards,  a cloth  ceiling  to 
protect  us  from  the  dust  which  blew  in  through 
the  tile  roof,  and  a curtain  separating  the  con- 
sulting and  compounding  from  the  preaching 
and  waiting  room,  with  a few  rude  benches,  com- 
pleted the  furnishing  of  these  new  (?)  (juarters. 
The  work  here  now  grew  more  rapidly  than 
ever,  and  we  soon  found,  in  order  to  keep  ap- 
pointment with  the  pundit  and  the  language,  it 
was  necessary  often  to  turn  people  away  asking 
them  to  come  the  next  day.  One  day  I noticed 
that  a large  number  of  the  patients  were  from  a 
certain  district.  On  iiuiuiring  the  cause,  one  of 
their  number  replied:  “All  the  world  comes 
here.”  People  in  India,  not  unlike  those  in 
America,  “follow  the  crowd,”  and  this  was 
sufficient  reason  in  this  man’s  estimation,  for  the 
number  of  the  sick  who  came  from  his  district. 

Permanent  Location  in  Miraj. 

At  the  end  of  two  years,  when  we  had  acquired 
the  language,  it  was  decided  by  the  Mission  to 
permanently  locate  the  medical  work  in  Miraj,  a 
city  of  2(),()6o  on  the  line  of  railway.  Prior  to  our 
arrival  on  the  field,  the  Mission  had  made 
unsuccessful  efforts  to  secure  a foothold  in 
Ibis  city,  owing  on  the  one  hand  to  the  minority 
of  the  Miraj  chief,  and  olficial  opposition  on  the 


— 11  — 


other.  A committee  of  the  Mission  was  upi)oiuted 
to  select  a site  for  our  work.  I had  the  privilege 
of  serving  on  this  committee.  In  compan}-  with 
another  brother  we  visited  the  place  and  walked 
around  the  city  four  miles,  looking  at  various 
places  more  or  less  suitable.  Finally  having  re- 
turned to  our  starting  point  we  fi.ved  there  on  a ten 
acre  field  contiguous  with  the  city  on  two  sides, 
entirely  open  on  the  other  sides.  It  was  on  a 
prominent  corner,  high  and  within  five  minutes 
of  the  bazaar.  In  short,  a site  eminently  suited  in 
every  respect  to  our  proposed  work  and  residence. 

How  a Site  teas  Secured. 

Eliot,  the  apostle  to  the  Indians,  has  said: 
“Prayer  and  pains  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
will  accomplish  anything.”  We  began  to  pray 
and  negotiate  for  that  field.  And  in  si.\  months  it 
was  in  our  possession.  But  there  was  one  serious 
obstacle  in  our  further  progress  which  had  now  to 
be  overcome.  Having  secured  what  we  supposed 
was  the  entire  field,  we  found  on  the  very  corner 
of  it  where  we  wanted  to  erect  our  hospital  build- 
ing was  a lot  100x200  feet,  and  containing  a 
dozen  native  houses.  The  land  was  the  prop- 
erty of  the  state  and  the  twelve  houses  the  prop- 
erty of  as  many  low  caste  natives.  The  funds  for 
the  erection  of  our  new  buildings— which  were  to 
consist  of  a general  hospital,  out  door  dispensary 
and  chapel  attached,  and  physician’s  residence, 
had  been  promised,  and  we  were  anxious  to  pro- 
ceed at  once  with  the  opening  of  the  station.  But 
here  was  this  land  unsecured  and  the  houses  un- 
removed. 

Providential  Intervention. 

In  the  Providence  of  God,  the  prime  minister* 
of  Miraj  state,  had,  in  the  meantime  put  himself 
under  my  professional  care,  for  the  treatment  of 
a chronic  disease.  Having  found  him  friendly, 
and  as  familiarit}'  between  us  increased,  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  he  would  be  able  to  help  us 
secure  the  houses  and  land.  Accordingly,  I so- 
licited his  aid.  He  promised  to  do  what  he  could 


* The  head  official  ot  the  state,  next  to  the  chief,  with 
powers  akin  to  that  of  a British  commissioner. 


— 12 


to  help  us  and  I left  the  matter  in  his  hands, 
thanking  him  for  liis  interest  in  our  case.  The 
people  occupj’ing  the  houses  were  prejudiced  con- 
cerning us  and  we  knew  would  demand  exorbit- 
ant prices  for  their  houses,  and  the  state  officials 
we  also  knew,  would,  if  possible,  balk  our  plans. 
A few  j’ears previously  Rev.  Mr.  Graham,  in  Sangli, 
had  to  make  nine  different  purchases  in  order  to 
obtain  sufficient  land  on  which  to  .erect  a small 
chapel,  the  negotiations  lasting  about  two  years. 
Here  similar  difficulties  faced  us.  Having  left 
the  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  prime  minister, 
and  bj’  praj'er  in  the  Lord’s  hands,  I went  with 
my  family  a few  days  later  to  another  station  of 
the  mission  to  spend  the  hot  season. 

Obstacles  Removed. 

One  month  after  the  date  just  mentioned  I 
returned  to  Miraj  to  give  directions  with  refer- 
ence to  the  digging  of  a well,  when  to  my  very 
agreeable  surprise  and  great  astonishment,  as  1 
drove  up  to  the  corner,  I found  that  every  house 
had  been  removed  and  put  up  in  an  adjoin- 
ing part  of  the  city,  and  when  I came  to  settle 
with  the  prime  minister,  he  handed  me  a clear 
title  from  the  state  for  the  land,  and  a bill 
amounting  to  only  a little  over  two  hundred  dol- 
lars; the  bill  included  the  cost  of  the  land,  removal 
and  re-erection  of  the  native  houses.  Had  we  to 
deal  with  the  house  owners  individually,  and  the 
state  in  addition,  had  it  chosen  to  be  unfriendly, 
the  acquisition  of  this  lot  would  probably  have 
been  delayed  a couple  of  years  if  not  indefinitely, 
and  the  cost  in  the  end  increased  tenfold,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  unpleasant  experiences  of  having 
to  negotiate  with  the  dozen  petty  property  owners 
— experiences  familiar  to  nearlj’  every  missionary 
in  India. 

During  the  digging  of  the  well,  a former  owner 
of  the  land  sought  to  frustrate  our  purposes  by 
daily  threatening  the  workmen  and  interfering 
with  the  work,  but  God  removed  him  from  the 
earth  in  the  very  midst  of  his  opposition. 

Another  who  held  a second  mortgage  on  the 
field,  tried  also  to  prevent  the  digging  for  our 
foundations.  He  made  the  demand  for  a large 


— 13  — 


bonus  in  addition  to  the  face  value  of  his  claim, 
and  threatened  legal  proceedings  unless  we  paid 
it.  Of  course  we  refused  to  recognize  his  unjust 
demand,  and  in  the  meantime  I referred  tiie  mat- 
ter to  the  prime  minister,  who  again  aided  us  b^' 
settling  with  the  mortgagee  through  the  kind 
offices  of  the  state  attorney,  thus  again  saving  us 
both  time,  trouble  and  mone^'. 

Official  Recognition. 

Shorth'  after  returning  from  the  other  station 
and  previous  to  the  beginning  of  building  opera- 
tions, we  received  for  all  in  our  station  at  Sangli 
an  invitation  to  attend  the  opening  of  a public 
water  tank,  which  a wealthy  banker  in  Miraj  had 
built  on  the  street  adjoining  his  house,  for  the  use 
of  his  own  household  and  neighbors.  A large  tent 
had  been  pitched  in  the  street  opposite  the  draw 
tank,  the  ground  carpeted,  a dais  erected,  and  the 
tent,  together  with  the  streets  leading  to  it  were 
decorated  with  flags  and  bunting.  - A procession 
of  state  horses,  camels  and  conveyances  led  the 
way  to  the  tent.  We  (Miss  Sherman,  my  wife  and 
myself)  arrived  in  a state  carriage  which  had  been 
sent  for  us  and  were  given  prominent  seats  among 
the  state  officials.  Tlie  audience  consisted  of  all 
the  officers  of  the  state  and  some  from  adjoining 
states,  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town  and  more 
than  a thousand  villagers.  After  the  ceremony, 
which  consisted  of  the  turning  on  of  the  water  by 
the  Miraj  chief,  speeches  were  made  by  the  donor 
and  by  the  prime  minister.  The  prime  minister 
in  his  speech  incidental!}'  referred  to  and  exhib- 
ited the  plans  of  our  proposed  buildings,  which  I 
had  brought  over  at  his  request.  I have  said  in- 
cidentally, but  as  a matter  of  fact,  in  speaking  of 
our  proposed  hospital,  as  another  “ most  desirable 
improvement”  to  the  city  of  Miraj,  he  said  more 
regarding  our  then  prospective  work  than  he  did 
of  the  tank,  the  opening  of  which  we  were  assem- 
bled to  witness.  Thus  was  accorded  us  a public 
recognition  and  an  invitation  before  all  the  state 
authorities  to  come  to  Miraj,  and  the  influence  of 
that  recognition  has  never  been  lost  in  our  work 
until  this  day.  We  were  finally  decorated  with 
flowers  and  sent  back  to  Sangli  in  the  state  con- 


— 14  — 

veyance,  through  the  din  and  clatter  of  the 
crowded  streets. 

An  Official  Objeclor  Won  Over. 

Previous  to  tlie  last  mentioned  incident,  the 
mamlatdar — a native  oflicial  who  had  to  do  with 
the  examination  of  titles  for  registration  and  who 
I found  was  a most  unscrupulous  and  bigoted  Hin- 
du— was  greatly  opposed  to  mission  work  and  our 
settlement  in  Miraj.  He  refused  at  first  to  certify 
to  our  purchase  of  the  land  though  there  was  not 
the  slightest  occasion  for  so  doing.  Overhearing 
his  remarks  concerning  us,  I feared  he  would  make 
determined  efforts  to  frustrate  our  puri)Ose.  1 
immediately  called  upon  my  friend  the  prime 
minister,  asking  his  aid  in  the  matter.  A note 
was  written,  while  I waited,  and  despatched  with 
a messenger  to  the  mamlatdar’s  office  in  another 
part  of  the  city,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  our 
title  was  on  its  way  through  the  registrar’s  books. 
Shortly  after  we  had  moved  to  Miraj,  this  same 
official’s  son  was  taken  sick  with  serious  disease 
of  the  brain.  A relative,  the  chief  native  doctor 
in  the  large  adjoining  state  of  Kolhapur,  was 
called,  and  finding  the  boy  delirious  pronounced 
the  case  hopeless.  In  his  extremity  the  father 
sent  for  the  missionary  physician.  I went  to  his 
house,  examined  the  boy,  and  stated  that  I be- 
lieved the  boy  would  recover  under  God’s  blessing 
and  a change  of  treatment.  Some  simple  reme- 
dies were  prescribed,  ice  was  telegraphed  for  and 
brought  from  a city  seventy  miles  away,  and  the 
treatment  begun.  In  a couple  of  days  he  recov- 
ered consciousness,  and  in  three  weeks  was  about 
almost  as  usual.  A few  days  after  the  boy’s  re- 
covery, one  morning  as  1 entered  the  temporary 
dispensary  which  we  had  opened  in  the  Miraj 
bazaar,  I found  the  old  bigoted  Brahmin  listening 
attentively  to  the  gospel  from  the  lips  of  a native 
Christian,  a man  who  had  previously  been  a low 
caste  and  whose  very  shadow  that  Brahmin  would 
have  previouslj’  avoided.  This  mamlatdar  sub- 
sequently brought  us  a gift  of  nearlj-  half  a 
month’s  pay  in  appreciation  of  what  had  been 
done  for  his  son,  and  repeatedly  afterward  called 
me  to  treat  other  members  of  his  high  caste  fam- 


— 15  — 


ily,  most  of  whom  have  heard  from  us  the  gospel 
message.  This  man  has  ever  since  been  one  of 
our  best  friends,  and  has  helped  us  in  our  work  in 
several  wajs. 

Building  Difficulties  and  Stale  Assistance. 

Having  secured  the  corner  lot  and  the  removal 
of  the  houses,  we  began,  in  course  of  time,  prepa- 
ration for  the  erection  of  our  buildings.  There 
now  arose  another  serious  difficulty  with  regard 
to  building  materials.  There  was  only  one  quarry 
within  reasonable  distance  from  the  city,  from 
which  to  obtain  building  stone.  There  were 
others  at  a distance  operated  by  private  and  petty 
contractors.  This  large  one,  with  excellent  stone, 
was  owned  and  operated  by  the  Miraj  state.  The 
advantages  of  securing  this  building  stone  from 
this  quarry  were  at  once  apparent.  But  we  ap- 
prehended difficulty  since  the  stone  quarried  had 
always  been  used  for  state  purposes  onl}’.  Again 
1 sought  the  aid  of  my  patient  and  friend,  the 
prime  minister.  A few  daj's  later  he  handed  me 
a list  of  all  the  stones  which  the  state  agreed  to 
furnish  at  greatly  reduced  rates.  Forty  extra 
workmen  were  put  to  work  to  quarry  the  stone. 
Building  apparatus  was  subsequently  loaned 
us,  and  the  work  of  building  greatly  expedited 
and  its  quality  enhanced,  while  the  cost  of 
erection  was  reduced  by  fulh’  one-third.  So 
cheapl}’  were  our  splendid  buildings  erected  that 
the  state  overseer  when,  after  the  completion  of 
the  hospital  I asked  him  to  estimate  the  value  of 
the  hospital  building,  estimated  it  double  its 
actual  cost. 

A Substantial  Building  Economically  Erected. 

A solid  cut  stone  two  stor\-  building,  built  with 
lime  and  concrete  floors  throughout,  with  space 
for  fiftj’-six  patients  complete  in  every  way,  cost 
only  the  sum  of  $10,000.  It  was  not  surprising 
that  the  philanthropic  donor,  after  seeing  the 
photographs  of  the  finished  building,  said  that  it 
was  “the  best  investment  he  ever  made.”  In 
many  other  ways  this  prime  minister  interested 
himself  in  our  work.  During  the  course  of  erec- 
tion he  came  almostdaily  to  see  how  it  progressed. 


— IG  — 

brought  his  friends  to  meet  us,  and  sent  us  scores  of 
patients  from  among  his  personal  acquaintances. 
In  addition  he  made  us  several  donations  in  appre- 
ciation of  my  services  in  the  treatment  of  himself 
and  family,  and  before  retiring'from  service  owing 
to  continued  ill  health,  secured  to  us  in  writing  the 
exemption  from  certain  taxes  and  the  guarantee 
of  the  continued  supply  of  building  materials  at 
reduced  prices,  materials  which  were  entirely 
under  state  control. 

Hospital  Opening  a Red-lMer  Day. 

As  our  hospital  neared  completion  it  was  de- 
cided to  open  it  on  the  Ith  of  July,  1894.  Accord- 
ingly invitations  were  sent  to  the  state  officials 
and  other  residents  of  Miraj  and  adjacent  towns. 
A large  ward  up  stairs  was  suitably  decorated;  a 
dais,  chairs  and  carpets,  kindly  loaned  b3'  the 
stale,  gave  the  place  the  appearan.ee  of  a pleasant 
reception  hall.  The  Chief  of  Miraj  was  to  declare 
the  opening  of  the  new  hospital,  the  doors  of 
which,  until  his  arrival,  were  kept  closed.  The 
people  assembled  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  the 
chief  on  the  front  verandah  and  the  drivewaj’ 
leading  to  the  building,  when,  in  company  with  a 
young  prince  from  an  adjoining  state,  the  Chief 
drove  up  in  his  carriage,  attended  by  his  outriders. 
As  he  came  up  the  steps  a silver  key  was  presented 
to  him  bj'  the  ten-year-old  son  of  one  of  our  mis- 
sionaries. The  main  door  was  then  opened  by  the 
Chief.  Entering  the  hallwa.v,  he  unveiled  the 
marble  tablet  bearing  the  following  inscription: 
“Presbyterian  Mission  Hospital,  erected  and  con- 
ducted by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presb3’terian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  The  entire 
fund  for  the  erection  of  this  hospital,  together 
with  the  adjoining  out-door  dispensar3’  and  phy- 
sician’s residence,  was  the  munificent  gift  of  .lohn 
H.  Converse,  Esip,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A. 
‘Inasmuch  as  3'e  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  m3'  brethren  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me.’ 
Opened  July  4lh,  18!)!.’’  The  Chief,  accompanied 
by  the  missionaries,  native  Christians  and  Hindu 
guests,  now  repaired  to  the  ward  up  stairs.  Then 
came  the  workmen  who  had  labored  on  the  build- 
ings, then  the  villagers,  who  filled  to  overflowing 


i 


— 17  — 


the  verandahs  and  aisles.  Tiie  Chief  in  a single 
sentence  declared  the  building  open.  Then  fol- 
lowed addresses,  the  principal  one  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Mission,  Rev.  J.  P.  Graham.  His  sub- 
ject was  the  history  and  object  of  our  mission 
work.  It  was  a multuvi  in  parvo  of  the  funda- 
mentals of  the  gospel.  It  was,  moreover,  the  open 
avowal  that  while  the  medical  work  to  be  carried 
on  in  the  hospital  would  be  second  to  none  of  its 
kind  in  the  presidenc}',  the  supreme  aim  and 
object  of  that  work  would  be  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  men  who  attended 
that  meeting,  by  invitation,  were  not  the  sort  of 
men  who  usually  make  up  our  audiences  in  mis- 
sion chapels;  yet  they  heard  enough  gospel  that 
day  to  save  any  one  among  them  who  might  have 
desired  salvation. 

Influence  of  the  Work  on  the  Prune  Minister. 

Mr.  Graham’s  address,  delivered  in  English, 
was  then  translated  into  Marathi  bj'  one  of  our 
native  pastors  for  the  benefit  of  the  non-English 
speaking  portion  of  the  assembl}’.  The  ex-prime 
minister,  our  old  friend,  came  from  Poona,  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles,  to  be  present  at  the 
opening.  At  great  risk  to  his  life  (he  had  serious 
heart  disease)  he  made  a friendlj’  speech.  His 
address,  which  was  afterward  published  in  sev- 
eral vernacular  papers,  was  criticised  bj’  the  Hin- 
du press  of  Western  India,  because  of  its  friendlj’ 
expressions  concerning  our  work  and  the  cause  of 
missions  generally.  In  his  address  at  the  hospital 
opening,  among  other  similar  statements,  he  said, 
“The  man  who  lives  according  to  the  teachings  of 
the  Bible  cannot  be  anything  but  a good  man.’’ 
Mr.  Chitray,  the  prime  minister,  took  the  trouble 
later  to  defend  himself  and  Chief,  who  was  also 
criticised  for  daring  to  declare  the  opening  of  a 
mission  hospital  in  his  own  capital. 

While  under  m3’  medical  care  I had  abundant 
opportunity  of  speaking  to  Mr.  Chitray  on  spirit- 
ual things,  and  on  one  occasion  presented  him 
with  an  English  Bible.  Although  he  suffered 
dail}’  from  repeated  and  excruciating  pain,  he 
continued  to  read  the  Bible  almost  to  the  da}’  of 
his  death,  two  years  later.  His  letters  several 


— 18  — 


limes  referred  to  the  comfort  and  help  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  He 
never  openly  confessed  Christianity,  and  I do  not 
even  claim  that  he  was  a converted  man,  though 
his  life  was  outwardly  an  exceptionally  upright 
one,  with  a number  of  good  qualities  often  lack- 
ing in  professing  Christians.  But  the  influence 
of  the  gospel  on  his  character  was  as  striking  as  it 
was  desirable.  At  his  death  he  gave  instructions 
that  no  heathen  rites  should  be  performed  at  his 
funeral.  Being  one  of  the  best  known  natives  in 
Western  India,  his  friendly  words  and  influence 
have,  to  our  knowledge,  helped  a good  many  to  a 
more  kindly  feeling  towards  the  work  of  missions 
in  general,  apart  from  his  interest  in  our  own  work 
at  Miraj,  and  to  a more  unbiased  consideration  of 
the  Christian  religion. 

A Prominent  Hindu's  Confession. 

A few  months  ago  before  leaving  India  a prom- 
inent official  of  Miraj  made  this  confession  to  me. 
Said  he,  ‘‘When  you  began  j’our  work  here,  be- 
cause of  the  evident  object  of  your  medical  work 
being  to  preach  and  teach  the  gospel,  some  of  the 
Brahmins  of  the  place,  in  their  meetings,  ex- 
pressed their  dislike  to  this  phase  of  your  work, 
and  declared  that  the}’  would  not  attend  your  dis- 
pensary. They  tried  also  to  dissuade  others  from 
going,  but  this  only  lasted  for  a short  time.  They 
saw  that  the  lower  castes  were  receiving  benefits 
which  they  themselves  were  losing  and  they  be- 
gan to  attend,  at  first  singly,  but  now  thej'  mostly 
all  go.  Then  they  determined  not  to  take  your 
liquid  medicines,” — fearing  pollution  from  the 
water  added  by  Christian  hands — and  I remember 
how  that  at  first  we  were  repeatedly  asked  for  dry 
medicines.  These  Brahmins  would  say,  ‘‘Give  us 
the  medicine  dry  and  we  will  add  our  own  water.” 
We  always  treated  this  seeming  but  unintended 
offense  with  kind  and  Arm  refusal,  stating  that  we 
always  gave  the  most  suitable  remedy,  and  that 
it  was  to  their  advantage  to  accept  without  ques- 
tion what  we  offered,  otherwise  we  could  do  noth- 
ing for  them.  ‘‘For  a time,”  continued  this  Hindu, 
‘‘they  held  out,  but  now  they  are  glad  of  your 
liquid  medicines.”  During  our  last  year  in  India 


— 19  — 


I scarcely  remember  being  asked  for  dry  med- 
icines, and  more  than  that,  they  would  often 
gladly  accept  liquid  animal  food  prepared  by  us 
in  the  hospital,  at  their  expense,  though  their 
prejudice  regarding  this  in  any  form,  is  generally 
far  more  intense  than  it  is  with  regard  to  the  so- 
called  polluted  water.  This  Hindu  then  went  on 
to  say,  “ Having  accepted  your  watered  medicines 
they  next  declared  that  they  would  not  attend 
your  ‘pothe’  (preaching  service,  conducted  pre- 
vious to  the  giving  out  of  medicines),  first,  because 
of  their  dislike  to  Christian  teaching,  and  second, 
because  of  having  to  take  their  place  and  turn 
side  by  side  with  the  lower  classes,  but  now  they 
go  gladly  and  do  what  they  would  not  have  done 
a short  time  ago,  viz.,  sit  in  touch  with  outcastes 
on  the  same  benches  and  together  with  them 
listen  to  your  preaching.” 

Teaching  the  Patients. 

We  endeavor  to  have  every  patient  hear  the 
gospel  message  either  in  this  service,  by  personal 
conversation  in  the  consulting  room,  or  by  daily 
instruction  at  the  bedside  while  in  the  wards 
of  the  hospital.  This  morning  service  is  con- 
ducted with  the  outdoor  patients,  and  as  many 
of  the  in-patients  as  are  able,  attend.  The  Chris- 
tians meet  and  sing  a hymn,  a portion  of  Scripture 
is  read  and  explained,  and  prayer  is  offered  in  be- 
half of  the  people,  asking  God’s  blessing  upon  the 
medicines  prescribed  for  their  relief  and  upon  the 
gospel  messages  proclaimed  for  the  cure  of  their 
spiritual  sicknesses.  The  patients  are  then  treated 
in  the  order  in  which  they  arrive,  irrespective  of 
their  caste  or  position — of  course  we  have  some- 
times to  make  exceptions  to  this  rule  in  cases  of 
severe  pain  or  dangerous  suffering.  The  catechist 
who  is  working  among  them  as  the}’  assemble, 
usually  continues  his  efforts  after  the  service  has 
ended  and  while  they  are  awaiting  their  turn. 
Well,  the  Brahmins  did  not  like  this  spiritual 
medicine  thus  given  out  in  this  service.  How 
often  I have  seen  them  come  around  to  the  back 
entrance  to  the  consulting  room,  and  ask  to  be 
treated  in  advance  of  the  dozens  of  lower  castes 
who  had  been  waiting  for  several  hours,  while 


— 20  — 


thej’  had  just  arrived.  As  a rule  in  India,  the 
Brahmin  has  alwaj’S  the  precedence  over  a lower 
caste  simplj’  bj’  virtue  of  his  birth.  He  may  go 
late  to  any  charitable  or  government  institution 
in  charge  of  natives,  and  with  others  in  waiting 
who  may  have  for  hours  preceded  him,  he  is  ad- 
mitted without  delay.  This  caste  rule  would  not 
hold  with  us.  Remembering  that  we  should  honor 
those  to  whom  honor  is  due,  we  taught  didacti- 
cally and  thus  practically,  that  God  is  no  respecter 
of  persons.  We  have  cared  for  the  lower  classes 
with  the  same  care  that  we  exercised  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  more  socially  fortunate.  This  has 
often  seemed  in  itself  to  those  poor  and  down- 
trodden people,  a matter  of  as  great  surprise  as  it 
has  been  to  the  Brahmins  whose  custom  it  has 
always  been  to  ostracize  and  despise  the  lower  caste 
who  in  turn  has  lived  only  to  submit  passively  to 
the  austerity  and  disrespect  of  the  higher  caste 
or  ruling  Brahmins.  This  plan  has  won  for  us 
thousands  of  friends  among  those  despised  classes 
for  whom  Christ  died,  and  to  whom  He  was  wont 
first  to  go  to.  Continuing,  this  Brahmin  Hindu 
said:  “ Your  work  is  slowly  but  surely  changing 
the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  the  people  of  Miraj 
concerning  their  own  caste,  and  your  religion, 
and  their  treatment  of  your  work.  We  Hindus 
cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  our  people 
are  losing  faith  in  their  idols,  and  the  foolishness 
of  their  dead  and  superstitious  religious  systems.” 

Changes  in  Puhlic  Sentiment. 

This  change  of  feeling  among  the  people  of 
Miraj  is  also  illustrated  in  the  fact,  that  when  we 
opened  our  hospital,  we  had  to  wait  over  a month 
before  we  could  get  any  of  the  higher  castes  to 
come  into  the  wards  as  in-patients:  but  within 
three  months,  there  were  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  side  by  side  in  the  same  ward  at  the  same 
time,  and  receiving  from  our  hands  the  same 
kindness  and  care  and  from  our  lips  at  their  bed- 
side the  same  gospel  of  love  and  salvation. 

A Brahmin  Patient. 

Among  those  thus  treated  in  the  hospital  was  a 
prominent  native  official  from  an  adjoining  town, 


— 21  — 


who  had  previously  been  known  to  scoff  at  our 
teachin<r,  at  the  same  time  despising  our  medical 
work.  He  had  sought  the  advice  of  two  English 
surgeons  and  several  native  i)hysicians,  but  with- 
out relief.  He  heard  of  cases  like  his  own  having 
been  cured,  and,  after  arranging  his  business, 
came  into  the  hospital  for  surgical  treatment. 
During  the  two  days  he  was  being  prepared  for 
operation,  he  attended  our  services,  and  while 
walking  about  the  hospital  learned  the  Scripture 
te.vt  on  the  marble  tablet  in  the  hallwaj'.  The 
operation  was  successfullj’  performed,  and  the 
next  morning  when  I saw  him  for  the  first  time 
after  recovering  from  the  chloroform,  he  greeted 
me  with  the  words  of  the  text  he  had  learned  by 
heart:  “Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of 
these  the  least,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
me.”  While  with  us  the  Brahmin  read  some 
Christian  pamphlets,  was  taught  at  his  bedside 
and  attended  our  services.  He  left  us  with  a con- 
fessedly changed  view  of  the  Christian  religion, 
and  gave  us  half  a month's  salary  in  appreciation 
of  our  medical  services. 

Affecting  Gratitude. 

The  people  are  generally  very  appreciative  of 
our  kindness,  and  they  have  .some  amusing  though 
sincere  ways  of  expressing  their  gratitude.  It  is 
often  with  difficulty — even  physical  restraint  is 
actually  necessary  sometimes — that  we  can  pre- 
vent them  from  worshiping  us,  or  from  holding 
our  feet  with  their  hands  while  they  prostrate 
themselves  on  the  floor  where  we  sit  or  stand. 
They  often  look  upon  us  as  gods,  and  our  treat- 
ment, especially  surgical  operations,  as  miracu- 
lous. 1 once  found  a bo}',  upon  whom  I had  per- 
formed an  operation,  silting  on  the  bed  before  his 
father,  who  was  teaching  him  to  regard  me  as  a 
god  and  to  worship  me  when  I would  enter  the 
ward.  Of  course  I had  to  stop  there  and  endeavor 
to  unteach  what  the  father  had  taught  his  boy. 

A Fisk  Incident. 

A man  whom  1 had  relieved  of  a painful  abscess 
by  a slight  stroke  of  the  knife,  afterward,  in  order 
to  express  his  gratitude  sat  up  “a  whole  night,” 


22 


as  he  said,  to  catch  tlie  solitary  fish  which  he 
knew  to  be  in  a certain  stagnant  stream.  He 
brought  the  fish  to  us  in  the  morning,  and  out  of 
consideration  for  him  we  accepted  the  fish,  had 
it  cooked  and  put  on  the  table,  though  we  knew 
it  to  be  poisonous.  1 need  hardly  say  that  we 
merelj'  tasted  it,  though  we  would  have  gladly 
eaten  it  were  that  possible. 

Thank  Offerings. 

We  are  often  presented  sweetmeats,  fruits,  veg- 
etables, chickens,  eggs,  etc.,  by  the  patients. 
One  Sabbath  morning  a man  took  the  novel  method 
of  expressing  his  gratitude  for  the  cure  of  a rela- 
tive in  the  hospital,  by  distributing  sweetmeats 
to  the  congregation  at  the  close  of  a morning 
preaching  service. 

A Ilage  Feast. 

Another,  a Mohammedan,  whose  wife  was  a 
purdah  lady  (Zenana  woman),  and  who  had  had 
her  thigh  amputated  in  the  hospital,  gave  us  a 
breakfast  one  morning  on  our  own  table  in  our 
own  bungalow.  We  supplied  the  dishes  and  he 
brought  the  food  already  cooked  from  his  own 
home.  The  table  was  literally  covered  with  the 
eighteen  different  dishes,  all  clean  and  temptingly 
prepared.  Each  dish  was  labeled  with  the  ver- 
nacular name  and  the  English  translation.  After 
the  breakfast  this  man  and  his  brother-in-law 
brought  flowers  and  garlands  and  decorated  us,  at 
the  same  time  perfuming  us,  according  to  their 
own  pleasant  custom  on  such  occasions. 

An  Ignorant  hut  Grateful  Patient. 

I remember  another  old  Mohar,  a low  caste, 
who  came  to  us  in  company  with  his  son  and 
daughter-in-law.  The  son  had  mortification  of 
his  whole  leg  up  to  the  knee  joint.  The  limb  was 
amputated  at  the  middle  of  the  thigh  and  he  re- 
covered. These  people  remained  with  us  two 
months  and  we  tried  to  leach  them  the  way  of 
life  and  of  the  only  Saviour.  When  they  left  us 
about  the  only  thing  the  old  father  could  remem- 
ber of  our  teaching  and  express  it  in  words  was 


— 23  — 


the  name  of  Jesus,  so  dense  was  his  ignorance. 
This  man  was  no  more  ignorant  than  tens  of 
thousands  of  his  class  in  India.  Several  months 
later,  when  we  were  residing  at  a hill  station  of 
the  Mission,  this  old  man  and  his  son,  who  lived 
some  twelve  miles  away,  on  hearing  that  we  were 
there  came  to  see  us.  The  son  with  his  one  leg 
and  crutches,  and  the  old  father  came  up  to  our 
verandah  where  we  were  sitting.  The  old  man 
had  on  one  arm  a chicken  and  on  the  other  a 
bundle  of  eggs  and  all  his  family  idols.  Setting 
them  down  on  the  verandah  before  us,  he  pros- 
trated himself,  and  rising  he  said  the  hen  and 
eggs  were  a gift,  and  the  idols  to  show  that  he 
had  kept  his  word  when  he  promised  that  he 
would  worship  idols  no  longer,  as  he  had  no  more 
faith  in  them. 

A Seini- Christian  Burial. 

This  man’s  daughter-in-law  had  died  a month 
before,  and,  said  the  old  father-in-law,  “when  her 
body  was  burned  we  did  not  want  to  perform  the 
heathen  practice  at  her  funeral,  and  so  we  cast  earth 
over  her  remaining  ashes  and  took  the  name  of  Y asu 
(Jesus)  and  the  doctor  sahib.’’  This  old  man  was 
profoundly  ignorant  but  he  was  appreciative  of 
the  kindness  shown  him,  and  I believe  lived  up  to 
the  light  he  had  received.  He  was  not  baptized 
or  received  into  any  Christian  church,  as  we  did 
not  consider  him  sufficiently  instructed  for  Chris- 
tian baptism,  and  yet  he  may  be  one  of  the  Lord’s 
own  people.  This  old  man’s  case  is  one  of  those 
cases  which  illustrate  the  unrecorded  fruits  of 
mission  work,  since  not  all  who  have  forsaken 
their  idols  as  the  result  of  Christian  teaching  can 
be  gathered  into  Christian  churches. 

Hindu  Testimony . 

The  value  of  the  medical  mission  is  further 
illustrated  by  the  following  letter  received  from  a 
prominent  and  wealthy  native  gentleman  of 
Western  India.  His  daughter,  the  widow  of  a 
Saradar  (a  hereditary  state  official),  had  been  un- 
der our  professional  care  for  three  years.  Hear- 
ing of  our  purpose  to  leave  India  shortly  on  fur- 


— 24  — 


loiiph,  he  wrote  expressing  liis  regret  at  oiir  de- 
parture. H(!  said:  “ Who  will  deny  your  philan- 
thropic efforts?  Your  kind  heart,  your  untiring 
industrj’,  your  love  of  men,  your  true  Christian 
virtue  are  indeed  praiseworthy.  You  have  greatly 
lessened  human  suffering  by  every  means  in  your 
power.  The  spirit  of  Christianity  lies  solely  in 
this.  The  more  you  do  good  to  men  the  more  you 
are  Christian.  Your  religion  is  much  more 
healthy  and  pure  than  most  religions,  and  I hope 
God  will  grant  you  long  life  and  prosperity.” 

Our  medical  work  has  opened  the  way  for  us 
and  our  helpers  into  hundreds  of  homes,  scores  of 
communities  and  numbers  of  villages,  where, 
while  we  might  have  been  tolerated  apart  from 
the  influence  of  the  medical  work,  for  its  sake  we 
have  often  been  warmly  received.  I myself  have 
visited  the  homes  of  native  chiefs  and  officials 
and  several  hundred  others,  often  to  treat  their 
wives  and  children, 'where,  had  I not  been  a physi- 
cian I could  never  have  entered.  On  one  occasion 
after  I had  visited  the  palace  of  a native  chief  our 
colporteur  entered  and  sold  about  twenty  Chris- 
tian books. 

Mcdic.al  Statistics. 

During  the  five  years  of  this  medical  mission 
we  tri'ated  in  our  outdoor  dispensary  more  than 

44.000  patients,  giving  out  an  aggregate  of  over 

12.5.000  prescriptions.  During  eight  months  after 
the  opening  of  our  new  hospital,  2.30  in-patients, 
and  dtiring  the  one  year  our  children’s  hospital 
was  open,  there  were  treated  124  in-patients  Since 
the  opening  of  the  work  in  Sangli,  five  years  ago, 

1,070  operations  have  been  performed,  over  sixty 
of  these  on  the  eye,  resulting  in  the  restoration  of 
sight  to  the  blind.  The  amount  of  physical  relief 
represented  in  these  figures  is  in  itself  worthj-  of 
the  spirit  of  the  Great  Physician,  but  more  valu- 
able and  lasting  in  its  blessings  has  been  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel. 

Scattering  the  Seed  Broadcast. 

The  number  of  jnitients  treated  by  no  means 
represents  the  number  who  have  heard  the  • 

gospel  message  through  the  agency  of  the  dis-  if 


pensary  and  hospital.  Patients  comiii"  for  treat- 
ment usually  bring  one  or  more  friends  with 
them  who,  with  themselves,  are  also  taught  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  .Tesus.  We  have  sold  a goodly 
number  of  books  to  these  patients  and  their 
friends,  and  thousands  of  tracts  have  been  dis- 
tributed among  them.  p]very  patient  who  comes 
to  the  dispensary  receives  a lealiet  which  con- 
tains his  register  number.  This  tract  contains 
suitabl3’  arranged  scripture  verses  and  a brief 
comparison  of  spiritual  and  ph.ysical  disease.  For 
the  sake  of  the  number  which  it  contains  this 
tract  is  kept  by  the  patient  and  is  brought  again 
when  the  dispensary  is  visited.  Yeiyv  few  of  these 
people  can  read,  but  there  is  generalh’  some  one 
in  the  house  or  the  communitj’  of  the  patient  who 
can.  I have  often  seen  these  patients  or  their 
friends  reading  these  tracts  aloud  toothers,  some- 
times a group  of  half  a dozen  who  sit  around 
listening.  Thus  we  have  scattered  the  Bread  of 
Life  far  out  upon  the  waters.  During  the  five 
3'ears  nearly  1,000  different  villages  have  been 
represented  among  our  dispensar.v  patients,  manj’ 
of  these  in  districts  that  missionaries  seldom 
enter,  and  hundreds  from  villages  never  yet  vis- 
ited by  any  missionaiw,  and  almost  all  without  a 
single  witness  for  Christ.  The  people  have  come 
to  us  from  villages  varying  from  2 to  300  miles, 
and  many  have  been  treated  from  still  more  dis- 
tant parts  of  India. 

Tanfjihle  Christianity. 

The  people  come  to  us  and  obviously  the.v  are 
more  receptive  than  when  we  go  to  them.  Thus, 
while  we  are  constrained  as  debtors  to  the  world  to 
go  to  the  world,  they,  in  the  relation  of  recipient,  or 
in  the  expectation  of  kindness,  come  to  us.  Thus  it 
is  that  our  message  has  more  weight  and  its  recep- 
tion is  more  warm  and  kind  than  when  we  bring  to 
them  also  spiritual  blessings.  It  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult for  people  born  in  heathenism  and  trained 
in  the  worship  of  idols  from  their  very  infancy, 
with  hundreds  of  years  of  idolatrous  practices  as 
their  heritage,  to  appreciate  the  attributes  of  God, 
such  as  abstract  love,  grace,  purity’  sind  perfect 


holiness.  They  have  been  taught  to  see  rather  than 
believe,  lienee  the  330.()t)0,0()0  idols  in  India:  but 
when,  after  the  example  of  the  Master  we  heal  their 
diseases,  the}’  have  placed  before  them  visible\o\e, 
grace,  and  truth;  in  short,  practical  Christianity, 
they  are  not  slow  to  observe  this  something  in 
the  Christian  and  his  life  which  is  wholly  lack- 
ing in  the  Hindu  and  Hinduism.  Thus  the  Med- 
ical Mission  is  preparing  the  way  not  only  for  the 
entrance  of  the  gospel,  but  for  a great  harvest  ere 
lonsr  to  be  reaped.  Hundreds  of  these  people, 
having  heard  the  truth  again  and  again,  have 
sufficient  knowledge  of  the  way  of  life  in  order 
to  confession  of  Christ  and  bajitism,  but  hold 
back  for  caste  reasons.  People  have  repeatedly 
promised  us  that  they  would  no  longer  worship 
idols.  They  would  say,  “Our  minds  are  full  of 
the  things  you  have  taught  us,  and  we  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ,  but  we  cannot  yet  break  our  caste 
and  be  baptized.”  Doubiless  some  say  this  to 
please  us,  but  we  have  reason  to  believe  that 
many  are  sincere. 

Cost  of  Accepting  Christ. 

The  following  will  illustrate  how  these  people 
are  bound  by  the  iron  chains  of  caste  when  many 
of  them  would  be  Christians.  A young  man,  who 
had  one  time  been  a pupil  in  our  mission  high 
school,  was  taken  sick  while  in  Miraj  away  from 
his  home.  He  remained  as  a patient  in  our  hos- 
piital  for  ten  days.  During  this  time  he  received 
Christian  instruction.  Before  he  left  us  I invited 
him  into  my  office  and  had  a personal  talk  with  him 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  effect  of  our  Christian 
teaching — a rule  which  I try  to  follow  before  in- 
patients return  to  their  homes.  I was  surprised  to 
find  that  this  young  man  was  well  acquainted  with 
the  scriptures,  and  at  his  statement  that  he  notonly 
had  thrown  away  his  idols  but  confessed  to  be  a 
believer  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  true  and  only  Sav- 
iour. He  stated  further  that  he  had  gone  so  far 
as  to  read  and  teach  the  Bible  in  his  own  family, 
and  that  he  prayed  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  He 
believed  that  Christ  had  pardoned  his  sins,  and 
that  although  he  had  not  been  baptized,  he  was 


at  heart  a Christian.  I tried  to  show  liim  liis 
duty  witli  regard  to  baptism,  and  liaving  quoted 
to  him  scrijjtures  bearing  on  this  subject,  with 
which  he  was  evidently  unfamiliar,  he  finally 
said  that  he  fully  intended  to  be  baptized  some 
day,  but  that  out  of  regard  for  his  family  he 
must  defer  that  step  for  the  present.  Said  he,  “ I 
was  married  in  childhood,  a circumstance  for 
which  I am  not  to  blame.  I love  my  wife  and 
three  children.  I respect  my  parents,  in  whose 
house  I live.  I am  still  a student  and  have  a 
government  scholarship,  which  supports  myself 
and  family.  I may  do  as  1 have  said  I do  in  my 
own  home  and  this  is  tolerated,  btit  to  take  the 
open  step  of  public  baptism  now  simply  means 
that  I would  be  immediately  ostracized,  an  out- 
caste  from  my  home  and  family,  my  wife  and 
children  would  be  torn  from  me,  my  on^3’  legiti- 
mate means  of  support  would  be  cut  off  forth- 
with, and  I left  a homeless  beggar  on  the  street.” 
I tried  to  show  this  young  man  that  his  duty  to 
Christ  required  a willingness  to  forsake  all  for  His 
sake,  but  his  answer  was  that  he  did  not  believe 
that  the  spirit  of  Christ's  teaching  would  require 
his  public  baptism  under  the  conditions  which 
then  surrounded  him.  This  young  man’s  position 
is  that  of  hundreds  in  India  whom  caste  influence 
restrains  from  taking  the  open  step  of  public 
baptism.  These  I believe  are  the  part  of  the 
harvest  soon  to  be  reaped,  since  it  is  the  result  of 
long  and  faithful  sowing  of  the  precious  seed  of 
God’s  word,  which  He  has  promised  will  not  re- 
turn void. 


Gaxte  the  Great  Barrier. 

Since  caste  is  the  chief  barrier  to  the  public 
confession  of  Christ  in  India,  anything  that  in 
any  way  modifies  its  restraints  or  removes  its  pre- 
judices, is  not  onlj'  paving  the  way  for  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel,  but  is  in  itself  a destroyer  of  th(' 
conditions  which  prevent  the  public  renunciation 
of  heathenism  and  the  acceptance  of  Christianity. 
The  Medical  Mission  is  pre-eminentlj'  a caste 
leveler,  and  as  such  is  not  onl.y  an  appealing  in- 
strument in  the  proclamation  of  Bible  teaching. 


— 38  — 


but  is  in  addition',  b.y  destroying  caste  and  by 
disarming  its  objection  to  Christianity,  a pre- 
parer of  the  way  for  tlie  acceptance  of  tlie  truth 
which  it  seeks  to  inculcate. 

Prayer  India's  Great  Need. 

What  India  needs  most  is  the  faitliful,  persist- 
ent and  fervent  prayer  of  God’s  own  people  for 
the  mighty  outpouring  of  the  Holj’  Spirit;  first 
upon  the  missionaries  who  preach,  and  secondly 
upon  the  Word  often  and  earnestly  preached, 
that  the  blade  of  acknowledgment  now  appear- 
ing may  speedily  ripen  into  the  full  ear  of  con- 
fession and  acceptance  of  Cfiirisl  as  Lord  and  King 
by  the  many  whom  Satan  now  hinders  througli 
the  influence  of  his  pernicious  system  of  caste. 

> Visible  Fruit  and  Self-support. 

The  work  at  Miraj  is  not  wanting  in  tangible 
results.  When  we  went  there,  there  was  not  a 
Christian.  A cliurch  with  eighteen  members 
now  exists  in  connection  with  the  medical  work. 
Three  years  ago  all  was  darkness. 

Not  least  among  the  considerations  which  com- 
mend this  work  is  its  self-supporting  quality.  We 
receive  neither  state  nor  government  aid,  yet  the 
gifts  and  offerings-  of  the  people  for  the  medical 
treatment  received  have  yearly  increased,  until 
at  the  end  of  the  last  complete  fiscal  .year  1 was 
in  India  they  amounted  to  two-thirds  of  the  total 
cost  of  medicines  and  native  medical  help.  Apart 
from  state  or  government  aid  this  cannot  be  said 
of  anj'  other  form  of  mission  work  in  India. 

Physical  Needs  and  the  Opened  Door. 

Let  us  look  for  a moment  at  the  physical  lu'eds 
of  Medical  Jlissionary  work  in  India.  To  meet 
only  these  physical  needs,  without  reference  to  the 
spiritual  side,  would  in  itself  be  a noble  and 
Christlike  undertaking,  but  how  much  better  are 
the  physical  needs  met,  when,  as  the  Medical 
Mission  opens  to  us  the  opportunity  of  evangeliza- 
tion, we  carry  with  it  the  onlv  remed.v  for  the  sin- 
sick  soul.  There  exists  among  Christians  in  home 


— 29  — 


lands  a prevalent  impression  that  India  is  well  sup- 
plied with  doctors.  Compared  with  some  heathen 
countries  this  is  certainly  true,  owing,  of  course, 
to  the  presence  in  India  of  a large  number  of 
British  government  surgeons.  It  is  also  a fact, 
however,  that  the  majority  of  these  civil  surgeons 
reside  in  the  large  cities  and  cantonment  centers, 
where  they  are  occupied  with  the  care  of  the 
British  and  native  troojis  and  army  work  in  gen- 
eral Others  there  are  who  have  the  care  of  the 
European  residents  and  the  superintendence  of 
medical  work  in  tludr  districts,  in  addition  to 
sanitary  inspection.  A few  only  give  most  of  their 
time,  in  a score  or  more  of  the  large  cities,  to  actual 
practice  in  the  hospitals  for  natives.  So  that  the 
bulk  of  the  medical  work  for  natives  is  done  by 
natives,  generalh',  in  the  British  territory  under 
the  inspection  of  British  medical  officers,  while 
in  the  native  state,  where  (>7, 000,000  of  the  people 
of  India  live,  there  is  very  little  British  superin- 
tendence. There  arcs  thousands  of  villages  in 
India  varying  from  1,000  to  10,000  where  it  is 
quite  impossible  to  secure  medical  aid  e.vcept 
from  the  native  quacks.  In  .he  most  thickly 
populated  district  in  India  less  than  ,5%  of  the 
people  live  within  five  miles  of  an  educated  physi- 
cian, native  or  foreign.  It  is  doubtful  if  2^  live 
within  twenty-five  miles  of  a European  physician, 
much  less  a missionary  physician.  Obviously 
then  in  the  remote  villages  and  districts,  espe- 
cially in  the  native  states,  the  Medical  Mission 
finds  its  greatest  field  of  usefulness.  The  Medical 
Mission  of  the  Western  India  Mission  is  the  only 
institution  of  its  kind,  to  our  knowledge,  in  the 
Bombay  Presidency  between  Poona  and  Banga- 
lore, a distance  of  nearly  .">00  miles,  and  there  is 
no  civil  surgeon  in  active  practice  among  natives 
nearer  than  7.5  miles. 

Caste  Physicians. 

But  what  of  the  educated  native  physicians 
who  do  the  most  of  the  medical  work  done  for 
natives?  They  are  usually  Brahmins  or  men  of 
high  castes,  educated  in  English  medicine  in  the 
medical  colleges  of  Bombay,  Calcutta  and  Madras. 


— 30  — 


These  men,  though  their  education  is  western, 
adhere  to  their  caste  practices,  which  prevent 
them  very  often  from  coming  in  sufficiently  close 
contact  with  the  people,  especially  the  middle  and 
depressed  classes,  to  efficiently  treat  them,  while 
at  the  same  time  they  are  mostly  men  of  inferior 
qualifications  compared  with  the  physician  who 
has  the  advantage  of  receiving  his  medical  edu- 
cation through  the  medium  of  his  mother  tongue. 
I>arg§l}'  as  the  result  of  the  Brahmin  doctors’ 
caste,  there  exists  a strong  and  well  grounded 
prejudice  among  the  lower  classes  regarding  dis- 
pensaries controlled  by  these  high  caste  native 
physicians.  So  strong  is  the  feeling  that  invari- 
ably the  middle  and  low  caste  natives  prefer  med- 
icine from  our  ordained  missionaries  rather  than 
go  to  the  professional  native  doctor.  I have 
known  men  repeatedly  refuse  to  attend  a state 
dispensary.  One  man  said  he  would  as  soon  die 
as  go  there  for  treatment.  A British  political 
officer  once  said  to  me  that  it  was  with  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  he  could  get  his  native  assist- 
ants to  attend  a government  dispensary,  remark- 
ing at  the  same  time  that  they  went  willingly  to 
the  mission  dispensary. 

Despicable  Treatment  of  Low  Castes. 

A low  caste  man  goes  to  a state  dispensary 
for  treatment;  while  standing  at  the  door,  or 
several  feet  away  from  the  doctor,  he  is  asked 
to  put  out  his  tongue  and  another  question  or 
two  asked:  if  he  is  an  outcaste  his  pulse  will 
not  even  be  felt.  The  doctor,  unwilling  to  touch 
him,  will  write  a prescription  and  send  him  off, 
often  without  any  idea  of  the  nature  of  his  dis- 
ease. Even  the  medicine  will  vary  in  quality 
according  to  the  patient’s  ability  to  fee  the 
doctor,  who  is  himself  a salaried  officer.  To 
illustrate  what  I have  just  said:  there  was  brought 
to  us,  soon  after  our  arrival  in  India,  a dreadful 
sufferer  with  acute  mortifici  tion  of  the  whole 
right  leg  up  to  the  knee.  The  case  demanded 
immediate  amputation.  We  had  not  at  that  time 
a suitable  place  in  which  to  perform  the  operation 
or  to  put  the  patient.  I wrote  a note  to  the  doc- 


— 31  — 


tor  in  charge  of  the  state  dispensaiy,  asking  that 
the  man  be  admitted  as  an  in-patient,  and  offering 
my  services  in  the  treatment  of  the  case,  should 
they  be  found  necessary.  This  dispensary  con- 
tained si.\'  beds,  which  I knew  to  be  all  unoccu- 
pied at  this  time.  The  patient  was  a low  caste, 
and.  because  of  that  fact,  he  was  put  upon  the 
lloor,  while  the  si.x  beds  remained  vacant.  A 
compounder  was  delegated  to  amputate  the  limb 
(the  doctor  meanwhile  had  gone  out  to  dine),  and 
he  simply  cut  olf  the  leg  at  a point  below  that  to 
which  the  disease  had  extended.  (If  course  the 
stump  did  not  bleed;  it  was  completely  mortided — 
a bloodless  amputation!  The  man  was  put  back 
ui)on  the  floor  where  he  actually  rotted  to  death, 
and  after  the  so-called  operation,  nothing  whatever 
was  done  for  his  relief.  In  the  published  records 
of  this  dispensary  for  1894,  appeared  the  follow- 
ing interesting  entry:  “In-patients  treated,  one: 
in-patients  cured,  one;  percentageof  cures,  100%.’’ 

A Great  Field. 

Is  there  not  a tremendous  field  for  medical  mis- 
sionary work  in  India?  Is  it  surprising  that  the 
Christian  physician  is  sought  in  preference  to  the 
Hindu  doctor?  And  is  it  strange  also  that  the 
depressed  classes  in  India  flock  to  the  mission 
dispensar\',  often  themselves  astonished  that  they 
will  receive  the  same  kind  and  faithful  treatment 
that  the  higher  caste  man  receives?  And  is  it 
any  cause  tor  wonder  in  all  this,  that  God  has 
opened  unto  us  a magnificent  field  in  which  to 
preach  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  to  heal  the  sick? 
A magnificent  field!  Yes,  but  with  it  God  puts 
upon  us  a stupendous  responsibilit}'.  “Freely  ye 
have  received,  freel}'  give.”  This  is  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel  speaking  to  us  with  regard  to  the  phys- 
ical and  spiritual  needs  of  the  heathen  in  India. 
Why,  then,  is  it  that  so  little  is  given  compara- 
tively to  extend  this  Christ-like  work  abroad, 
while  churches  and  states,  having  proved  its 
worth,  spend  millions  upon  it  annually  at  home? 

What  it  Coet'i. 

A bed  supported  for  a year  in  our  Miraj  hos- 
pital costs  only  one-sixth  ($.30)  of  a bed  in  a hos- 


pital  at  homi‘,  and  is  only  one-third  the  cost  of 
the  cheapest  ^rovernment  hospital  in  India.  Why 
so  manj’  Christian  physicians  at  home — one  to 
every  six  hundred  people  in  New  York — many  of 
whom  do  not  average  a patient  a day,  while 
he  might  have  scores  the  first  week  in  India  and 
more  than  he  could  possibly  treat  afterward? 

Proposed  Medical  Class  for  Christian  Evangelists. 

Another  word  in  closing.  God  has  not  only 
used  medical  missions  in  India  through  the'agency 
of  foreign  missionary  physicians  alone,  but  con- 
nected with  and  trained  in  several  medical  mis- 
sions in  India  are  native  Christian  assistants 
whose  labors  have  been  blessed  in  the  opening  of 
new  stations  and  the  conversion  of  many  souls, 
resulting  in  not  a few  instances  also  in  the  organi- 
zation of  churches.  There  is  no  such  Medical  Mis- 
sionary training  school  in  Western  India  among 
the  sixteen  millions  of  Maratha  speaking  people. 
It  has  been  decided  to  organize  such  a class  with 
the  Jledical  Mission  at  Miraj.  The  plan  is  to 
train  suitable  Christian  men  as  medical  assistants 
or  catechists  and  to  send  them  out  in  company 
with  the  native  evangelists  to  distant  villages, 
where  together  they  will  go  throughout  all  tlie 
villages  preaching  the  gospel  and  healing  the  sick. 
The  prayers  of  God’s  children  are  requested  that 
His  richest  blessing  ma3’  rest  upon  this  new  de- 
partment and  for  all  the  work  of  Medical  Missions, 
that  those  connected  with  them  maj’  be  men  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  in  all  their  work  of  ph3’s- 
ical  relief  the  one  great  aim  ma3’  ever  be  kept 
uppermost,  viz.,  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the 
glor3’  of  God. 


